Baekje Buddhist Arts

[Narration]
This artifact is a pedestal of Buddha that was made in the early 7th century. It is a reproduction made from pieces that were discovered at a former kiln site of the Baekje Dynasty.

[Tourist]
It is really big! How come there is no Buddha on the pedestal?

[Narration]
The Buddha was not found, only the fragments of the pedestal were. The pedestal is around 1m in height and 2.8m in width.

[Tourist]
Oh, I see. I cannot imagine how amazing the Buddha placed on the stand must have been, since the pedestal itself is so large and majestic. It is such a pity that we cannot see what the Buddha looked like.

[Narration]
I agree with you. The flowing appearance of Buddha's garments draping over the stand must have been beautiful. The artisans who carved the statue in order to make it look like flowing, draped cloth must have been highly skilled. It's impressive.

[Tourist]
That is really true. The carved folds really do make it look like flowing cloth.

[Narration]
The Buddhist art in Baekje was of an extraordinarily high quality. This you can assume just by looking at the pedestal of Buddha. This is also why the Buddhist art from Baekje influenced Japanese art. You will notice that many famous temples and statues in Japan are similar to those of Baekje.